CHAPTER VII

Rich and Poor

Op the many nations and races that dwell
in New York none, with the exception of
the Chinese, is so aloof from us in its social
life as the Negro. The childish recollec¬
tion of an old school friend, recently related
to me, well illustrates this. Across the way
from where she lived there was a house
occupied by a family of mulattoes. They
were the quietest and least obtrusive people
on the block, and the wife, who was known
to be very beautiful, on the rare occasions
when she left her home, was always veiled.
The husband was little seen, and the child,
a shy boy, never played on the street. For
years the family lived aloof from their
neighbors, the subject of hushed and mysteri¬
ous questioning.

Probably had  one of  the  white  women

dropped in some day to say good-morning
170